Ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus

ABSTRACT

A ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus includes a main body, a decorative panel, an air inlet grille and side panels. The main body includes an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan. The decorative panel is attached to the main body from an opening side of the main body. The air inlet grille is provided on a design side of the decorative panel. The side panels are provided on the left and right sides of the air inlet grille. The decorative panel is provided with an opening portion which allows suspension metal fittings of the main body to be operated and also an electrical device or a pipe connection portion provided at the main body to be handled, with the decorative panel attached to the main body, after the side panels are detached from the decorative panel, the air inlet grille being rotated to be in the opened state.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a decorative panel of a ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus.

BACKGROUND ART

It is disclosed that in an existing ceiling-embedded indoor unit of an air-conditioning apparatus which is embedded in a ceiling of a room through an opening provided in the ceiling, side panels are detachably fixed by screws to left and right sides of a center panel having an air inlet and provided at a center portion of a decorative panel, and when the side panels are detached from the center panel, suspending fittings can be operated (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).

It is also disclosed that in an air-conditioning apparatus, corner panels are provided at four corners of a decorative panel attached to a bottom surface of a main body of the air-conditioning apparatus, and includes hook claws and screw fixing portions, and when the corner panels are detached, suspending fittings can be operated (see, for example, Patent Literature 2).

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No.

2013-200096

Patent Literature 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-41779

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

A main body of a ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus is provided in space above a ceiling of a room, and a decorative panel exposed to indoor space of the room is attached to a lower portion of an opening portion of a main-body case of the air-conditioning apparatus. Therefore, an opening for operation is provided by removing part of the decorative panel, in such a way as to allow suspension fittings to be adjusted in height, with the decorative panel attached to the main-body case. A tool is inserted through the opening for operation, and the suspension fittings are finely adjusted using the tool. However, maintenance of the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus includes the following work: work related to an electrical device, such as connection of lines of the electrical device and setting of a switch; and work for checking whether or not leakage occurs in connected part between refrigerant pipes and checking of a heat insulator. Those work cannot be achieved only with the opening for adjustment of the suspension fittings.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problem, and an object of the invention is to provide a ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus which allows suspension fittings to be operated, with a decorative panel attached to the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus, and also allows an electrical device or a refrigerant-pipe connecting unit included in the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus to be handled, with the decorative panel attached to the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus.

Solution to Problem

A ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus of an embodiment of the present invention includes: a main body including an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan; a decorative panel attached to the main body from an opening side of the main body, an air inlet grille provided on a design side of the decorative panel, and side panels provided on left and right sides of the air inlet grille. The side panels are detachably attached to the decorative panel by the air inlet grille. The decorative panel is provided with an opening portion which allows, when the air inlet grille is in an opened state, suspension metal fittings of the main body to be operated and also an electrical device or a pipe connecting unit provided at the main body to be handled, with the decorative panel attached to the main body, after the side panels are detached from the decorative panel, the air inlet grille being rotated to be in the opened state.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

The ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention includes: the main body including the indoor heat exchanger and the indoor fan; the decorative panel attached to the main body from an opening side of the main body, the air inlet grille provided on a design side of the decorative panel, and side panels provided on left and right sides of the air inlet grille. The side panels are detachably attached to the decorative panel by the air inlet grille. The decorative panel is provided with the opening portion which allows, when the air inlet grille is in an opened state, suspension metal fittings of the main body to be operated and also the electrical device or the pipe connecting unit to be handled, with the decorative panel attached to the main body, after the side panels are detached from the decorative panel, the air inlet grille being rotated to be in the opened state. Therefore, with the decorative panel attached to the main body, the suspension metal fittings can be operated and the electrical device or the pipe connecting unit included in the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus can be handed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of opened states of an air inlet grille and left and light side panels in the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of screw fixing portions for the decorative panel and the left and right side panels in the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a configuration of each of the side panels in the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a fixing projection of each side panel in the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates an electrical device and a pipe connecting unit in the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of the configuration of the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Embodiment 1

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of opened states of an air inlet grille and left and light side panels in embodiment 1 of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus 1 includes an indoor-unit main body 1 and a decorative panel 2. On a design-surface side of the decorative panel 2, side panels 6 are provided on the left and right sides of the decorative panel 6, and an air inlet grille 5 is provided at a center portion of the decorative panel 2. One of the side panels 6 has a window for a wireless photoreceptor unit 7. Furthermore, an indoor unit includes an electrical unit 14 and a pipe connecting unit 15.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the air inlet grille 5 located at the above center portion is attached to the decorative panel such that it can be rotated on an opposite side of a side of the decorative panel where an air outlet 4 is located. The side panels 6 are disposed on the left and right sides of the air inlet grille 5, and are detachably attached to the decorative panel such that each of the side panels 6 can be rotated about its end side portion on an opposite side of a side where the air inlet grille 5 is located. After the air inlet grille 5 is opened, the side panels 6 can be opened independently of each other. When one of the side panels 6 is opened, the electrical device provided in the main body 1 is exposed, and can be handled from below. The electrical device includes the wireless photoreceptor unit. Thus, the above side panel 6 is provided with a window for wireless light-reception, which allows a wireless signal to be received, without the need to open/close the side panel 6. When the other side panel 6 is opened, the refrigerant-pipe connecting unit for circulating refrigerant in an indoor heat exchanger is exposed. This connecting unit can be touched and handled from below.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of screw fixing portions for the decorative panel and the left and right side panels in embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a configuration of each of the side panels in embodiment 1 of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, each of the side panels 6, which are attached to left and right sides of the air inlet 4, is rectangular and provided with hook claws 10 disposed at three locations, that is, left and right end portions and a center portion on one of longitudinal sides of each side panel 6. The one longitudinal side is connected to the decorative panel. At a center portion of the other longitudinal side of each side panel 6, a screw fixing projection 11 having a screw fixing hole is provided. Fixing claws 12 are provided at respective positions which are close to the above other longitudinal side where the screw fixing projection 11 is provided, and which are located on both short sides of each side panel 12 which are perpendicular to the longitudinal side. As illustrated in FIG. 4, an incombustible material 13 is provided in an area surrounded by the four sides of each side panel 6.

The hook claws 10 provided on the above one longitudinal side of the side panel 6 are engaged with opening end portions of the decorative panel 4. The screw fixing projection 11 and the hook claws 10 are located on opposite sides. The screw fixing projection 11 projects from the side panel 6, and has a screw fixing hole for a screw by which the side panel 6 can be fixed to the decorative panel 2 from below when the side panel 6 is attached to the decorative panel 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, when the side panels 6, which are disposed on the left and right sides of the air inlet, are detached from the decorative panel 2, opening portions 9 provided on the left and right sides of the air inlet are exposed. Through the opening portions 9, space above a ceiling of a room can be viewed. At surfaces of the side panels 6 which face the respective opening portions 9 of the decorative panel 2, incombustible materials 13 are provided to receive foreign matter which drops toward or adheres to the decorative panel 2 from the space above the ceiling.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the screw fixing projection 11 of the left and right side panels in embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 6 illustrates the electrical device and the pipe connecting unit in embodiment 1 of the present invention. Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the screw fixing projections 11 of the side panels 6 on the left and right sides of air inlets 3 having the air inlet grille 5 are located between the air inlet grille 5 and the main body 2 of the decorative panel. Furthermore, the electrical device 14, the pipe connecting unit 15 and suspension metal fittings 16 of the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus (indoor unit) are provided in space located above the ceiling and above the left and right side panels 6.

Next, the operation will be described.

In the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus 1 having the above configuration, each of the side panels 6 on the left and right sides of the air inlets 3 having the air inlet grille 5 is attached to the decorative panel 2 as follows: three hook claws 10 provided in the side panel 6 are engaged with the main body of the decorative panel; two fixing claws 12 are then engaged with the main body of the decorative panel; and the side panel 6 is fastened and fixed to the decorative panel 2 by a screw 8 in the screw fixing hole of the screw fixing projection 11. Next, the air inlet grille 5 is attached to the main body of the decorative panel.

In the case of detaching the air inlet grille 5 or the side panels 6 from the decorative panel 2, the decorative panel 2 can be easily opened in reverse order of the attachment.

As described above, with the decorative panel 2 attached to the main body 1 of the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus, the suspension metal fittings 16 of the indoor unit main body 1 can be touched and handled from below on the indoor side through any of the opening portions 9 provided in the decorative panel 2. A technician can put his or her hand into the opening portion 9 while having a tool, and can thus adjust a suspended position of the main body 1 of the indoor unit. Similarly, the electrical device 14 and the pipe connecting unit 15 of the main body of the indoor unit can be touched and handled through the opening portion 9. Therefore, the efficiency of installation work is improved.

Furthermore, the screw fixing projections 11 of the side panels 6 attached to the left and right sides of the air inlet grille 5 are located between the air inlet grille 5 and the main body 2 of the decorative panel. Thus, the screw fixing projections 11 do not appear on the design surface, thus improving the design.

Furthermore, since the incombustible materials 13 are provided at inner sides of the side panels 6, even if the electrical device 14 or the pipe connecting unit 15 of the main body 1 of the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus catches fire from outside, the side panels 6 can prevent the spread of fire to the indoor side.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of the configuration of the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the example of the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus as illustrated in FIG. 7, an outdoor unit included in a refrigeration cycle is connected to an indoor unit by refrigerant pipes. In the example illustrated in FIG. 7, it is assumed that elements which are the same as those as descried with reference to, for example, FIG. 1 perform the same operations. In the air-conditioning apparatus as illustrated in FIG. 7, an outdoor unit 200 and the indoor unit 100 as described with respect to embodiment 1 are connected to each other by a gas refrigerant pipe 300 and a liquid refrigerant pipe 400.

The indoor unit 100 is provided with an indoor heat exchanger 110 that includes, for example, a fin-and-tube heat exchanger and causes heat exchange to be performed between air and refrigerant. The indoor unit 100 is also provided with an indoor fan provided close to the indoor heat exchanger 110. The indoor fan is, for example, a centrifugal fan. In this case, as the centrifugal fan, a cross-flow fan is employed. The indoor fan sucks air in indoor space, and sends the air to the indoor heat exchanger 110.

The outdoor unit 200 includes a compressor 210, a four-way valve 220, an outdoor heat exchanger 230 and an expansion valve 240. The compressor 210 compresses sucked refrigerant and discharges the compressed refrigerant. It should be noted that although it is not particularly limited, the compressor 210 may be controlled by using, for example, an inverter such that the capacity (the amount of refrigerant to be fed out per unit time) of the compressor 210 is varied by arbitrarily varying an operating frequency. The four-way valve 220 switches the flow of the refrigerant between, for example, that for a cooling operation and that for a heating operation.

The outdoor heat exchanger 230 according to embodiment 1 causes heat exchange to be performed between the refrigerant and air (outdoor air). For example, during the heating operation, the outdoor heat exchanger 230 operates as an evaporator to evaporate and gasify the refrigerant. During the cooling operation, the outdoor heat exchanger 230 operates as a condenser to condense and liquefy the refrigerant.

The expansion valve 240, which is, for example, an expansion device (flow amount control unit), reduces the pressure of the refrigerant to expand the refrigerant.

For example, in the case where an electronic expansion valve is used, the opening degree of the expansion valve is adjusted in response to an instruction from, for example, a controller (not illustrated). The indoor heat exchanger 110 causes heat exchange to be performed between, for example, air to be air-conditioned and the refrigerant. During the heating operation, the indoor heat exchanger 110 operates as a condenser to condense and liquefy the refrigerant. During the cooling operation, the indoor heat exchanger 110 operates as an evaporator to evaporate and gasify the refrigerant.

Since the air-conditioning apparatus has the above configuration, the heating operation and the cooling operation can be performed by changing the flow of the refrigerant in a switching manner using the four-way valve 220 of the outdoor unit 200.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

1 main body of ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus 2 decorative panel 3 air inlet 4 air outlet 5 air inlet grille 6 side panel 7 wireless photoreceptor unit 8 screw 9 opening portion 10 hook claw 11 screw fixing projection 12 fixing claw 13 incombustible material 14 electrical device 15 pipe connecting unit 16 suspension metal fittings 20 suspension bolt 21 ceiling plate 100 indoor unit 110 indoor heat exchanger 200 outdoor unit 210 compressor 220 four-way valve 230 outdoor heat exchanger 240 expansion valve 300 gas refrigerant pipe 400 liquid refrigerant pipe. 

1. A ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus comprising: a main body including an indoor heat exchanger and an indoor fan; a decorative panel attached to the main body from an opening side of the main body; an air inlet grille provided on a design side of the decorative panel; and side panels provided on left and right sides of the air inlet grille, the side panels being detachably attached to the decorative panel using respective screw fixing projections which are provided at the side panels and located between the air inlet grille and the decorative panel, and the decorative panel being provided with an opening portion which allows, when the air inlet grille is in an opened state, suspension metal fittings of the main body to be operated and also an electrical device or a pipe connection unit to be handled, with the decorative panel attached to the main body, after the side panels are detached from the decorative panel, the air inlet grille being rotated to be in the opened state.
 2. The ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1, wherein a window for a wireless photoreceptor unit is provided in at least one of the side panels.
 3. (canceled)
 4. The ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: hook claws provided at connection sides of the side panels where the side panels are connected to the decorative panel; and fixing claws disposed at respective end sides of each of the side panels.
 5. The ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: an incombustible material provided at an inner surface of each of the side panels.
 6. The ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus of claim 1, further comprises: an outdoor unit including at least a compressor and an outdoor heat exchanger; and an indoor unit connected the outdoor unit by refrigerant pipes to form a refrigeration cycle, the ceiling-embedded air-conditioning apparatus being configured to perform an air conditioning operation. 